Really rich, or a con?

Donald Trump said, “I am so rich!” As an IRS trial attorney for 21 years, I know that really rich people do not know how rich they are until a CPA firm tells them. Trump read a statement from his accountants saying he had assets worth $10 billion. He implied that his net worth was even more. He knows full well that the average voter doesn’t not know the difference between assets and net worth and probably thinks assets are property owned free and clear of debt.

To get net worth, you must subtract what you owe on the assets. We need to see his tax returns before the election to see how rich Trump really is. If he owes more than his assets are worth, he is misleading us. He could be on the verge of bankruptcy for all we know.

Copies of your tax returns belong to you. The IRS has no restrictions about releasing returns while you are being audited. Your lawyers will tell you not to release them if there is something you want to hide. Unless Trump releases his tax returns, we won’t know whether he is rich, as claimed, or a con artist pretending to be rich. If you ever lived in New York City, as I have, you know to be wary of someone who says, “Trust me” or “Believe me,” especially someone with a limited vocabulary.

I believe Trump is a piker compared with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a real multibillionaire who said, “I’m a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one.” RUUD DuVALL Fayetteville